Childish Things

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor
from the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

Back when I was in the parish I loved doing pre-marital interviews.

For me, one of the high points of the time together was the selection of Bible
verses for the service. Most of the time the couple would ask for suggestions
and among the passages I offered was the one from Proverbs 18: That verse is the
theme for this devotion.

I can tell you, almost without fail, the bride would come unglued when she heard
those words. "Finds a good thing. What am I, some sort of lost set of keys that
I have to be found? And since when am I a thing? I'm not a thing. I'm a person.
I'm a bride. Nope, we're not going to use that passage. Pastor, don't you dare
read that passage at our wedding."

I generally didn't use it. There are some things worth dying for and some which
aren't. Me, I didn't want to meet my Maker at the hands of a furious,
fire-breathing bride.

Even so, Salary.Com, a Massachusetts firm which studies workplace compensation
agrees that a wife is a pretty good deal, at least financially. They calculate
if moms were compensated in dollars, they would, for a 94.4 hour work week,
bring in $117,000 a year.

From what I've seen, mom's are worth every penny of that none-too-generous
salary.

Of course, moms, like teachers and garbage collectors generally don't get the
recognition they've got coming. Which is a shame.

Just as it is a shame that the Lord Jesus Christ never gets the credit or thanks
which ought to come to Him for all that He has done.

Think for a moment. What could you pay Someone to leave heaven and walk around
earth for 33 years, unappreciated, unapplauded and unloved? What would it be
worth to you to have Someone give His life so you so all those you loved could
be moved from hell to a mansion in heaven? What compensation can you offer to
Someone Who died so you might live?

To paraphrase the passage of Proverbs... "Whoever is found by the Savior has
been found by a unique Redeemer and has been given grace by the Lord."

Now this devotion may motivate some men to give thanks for their spouses or
moms. If so, wonderful! Most of all I pray it will help everyone give thanks for
the Savior Who has done all, so we might have all.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, there are no words, no cash, no thanks which I can
offer which would begin to show the appreciation You should be given for saving
me. All I can do is, in word and deed, live a life of gratitude. Send Your Holy
Spirit me so I show my gratefulness. In Your Name. Amen.

Pastor Ken Klaus Lutheran Hour Ministries
http://www.lhm.org/ all rights reserved; not
to be duplicated without permission.

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